Combing machine



.June 18, 1935. J. w. NASMITH 2,005,001

' COMBING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inv Io w J His flaring:-

June 18, 1935. J, w, NAsMlTH 2,005,001

COMBING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mfze n if Patented June 18, 1935 PATENT oFFicE COMBI NG MACHINE John William Nasmith, Manchester, England Application January 24, 1933, Serial No. 653,301

,, In Great Britain March 2, 1932 5 Claims. (01. 19-121) The present improvements relate to combing machines for textile fibres, wherein an upper nipper jaw and a lower-nipper jaw are under spring control and oscillate in an are which if prolonged would intersect the periphery of a combing cylinder below and which cylinder combs a tuft of fibres held by the jaws. More specifically the improvements are directed to such machines which are of the type in which the lower nipper jaw is resiliently mounted so-that'it may yield to a thickness. of material held between the two jaws when thelatter close; a stop being provided to prevent the descent of thelower nipper jaw into contact with the combing cylinder nee dles,

It is known in combing machines to limit the upward movement of the lower nipper by the provision of a screw or like stop., a a

The objects of the present improvements, in machines of the type set forth, are:

(a) To provide the resilient lower nipper jaw, in combination with the means for "limiting" its downward movement towards thec'ombing cylinder needles, with means'for adjusting the' limit of its upward movement so that the height'to which it rises can be adjusted at will to suit various materials 7 H 1 (b) To provide in combination with the above an upper nipper jaw which-is always, when closed v upon the lower jaw, held down in its proper position in relation to the cylinder needles, whatever may be the thickness of material held between the jaws; 1

' (c) To mount the upper and lower nipper jaws in such a manner thaton being moved from one position to anyother in relation to the'detaching,

fibre material the first four or five rows of com-' bing cylinder needles, so that the tangled fibres of the nipper tuft after detaching is finished may not be presented too suddently to the cylinder combing. 4 v

For the attainment of the objects set forth under (a) and (b) and according to the present invention in a combing machine of the type-referred-to there are provided'a pivoted springmounted lower nipper jaw, stops limiting themovement of such jaw in either direction that is to say to and from the combing cylinder needles, a pivoted upper nipper jaw having co-actingtherewith an adjustable stop'which limits its downward movement; and a compressible spring interposed between such upper nipper jaw andits actuatingelement, such spring operating to overcome the resistance of the springassociated'with lower nipper jaw which has a lesser degree of compression, i. e. being stronger than such lower nipper jaw spring;

As a further feature of the presentinvention and to-attainthe objects set forth under (0) and (d) above, the nipper jawsare'mounted upon a cr'adle'subst'antially' ofthe character of the cra dle set forth in the specification of prior Letters Patent No. 1,239,123 of the United States granted tome," which cradle is mounted ,on arms which are of radius equal to that of the combing cylinder segment. One of such arms being pivoted upon a centre which is'coincident with the combing cylinder centre, any movement of the cradle to cause the nipper jaws to move to and fro will cause the nipper jaws to remain in constant correct relation to the cylinder needles when combing. Nevertheless, with a nipper which is to be fixed in the operation of the'machine, the detaching roller only m ovin these-arms of thecradle in the present improvements may be normal ly fixed and be movable only for adjustment of the cradle. 0 The cam'which controls the movement of the upper and'lower jaws may be so formed that the descent of the said-jaws, after they have closed upon the materials to be combed, may be gradual during' the passage of the first few rows of combing cylinder needles.

The improvements will now be fully described, reference being had to the annexed drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a section of the adjustable nipper cradle to carry the nipper pivot and the nipper;

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively section and plan of the rocking bridge carrying the resilient lower nipper jaws; and 0 I a Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross section through the assembled nipper. 7

Referring to Figure 1, C is the combing'cylindershaft and S the nipper setting or oscillating shaft 'as the case may be. Mounted concentrically with these shafts are arms Mm of equal radius,

which radius is that of the cylinder needle segment. The shaft S can be secured in any position within limits'sothat the nipper, if stationary, can be fixed in any position, say between the radii- X r, in relation to the detaching apparatus represented hypothetically by the roller T (Figure 4), or if the nipper is of the oscillating type it may be oscillated between similar limits. Mounted on the pivots I i, of these arms is the nipper cradle D, the two end bars of which are cast with the connecting bridge d uniting them. A projection midway along the bridge d carries an adjusting screw l which serves as' the stop limiting the downward movement of the lower jaw, and also two other uprights 6, near each end, to carry the bearings E of the nipper pivots P. Also cast to the bridge d and the ends D are uprights U in which are adjusting screws 4 which serve to limit the downs ward movement of the upper jaw. These uprights U also carry pins 5"'on"which' hinge the bearings 8 of the feed rollers lgand'fl', (Figure-1) not shown in detail.

Figures 2 and 3 show the bridge B each end of which are bearings to hinge on the nipper p1v-" ots and projectionsto which are secured theends of the resilientlower jaw J. An arm 0 is cast on midway along thebridge B, or if desired there may be one at each'end of the bridge 13.

Referring to Figure 4,,agrms A hinge on the nipper pivots P and have secured to'them the upper nipper jaw 9'. p Also hinging on P are other arms a on which arecast projections 9 contacting the arms A. A latch L, pivoting on a pin p in the arms a, locks A and a,together by wedgingarms fectively locks the parts together during movement of the said parts. Each arm q hascast ,on it a projection H to contatct with the adjusting screw 4. Aswivel Y pivots in the arms a and through itpasses freely the rod R, hinged at its lower end' to the end of the lever keyedon the shaft N. Threadedon the rod R is a; spring G- one at each end of the nipper-with compression nut l0, and adjusting nuts 2 are provided at the upper end of R. g

Pivoting in a fixedbearing, not shown, is a swivel 0 through which passes freely the rod 1 whose lower extremity is hinged to the end of the armor arms o oneateachend cast tothe bridge B, carrying the lower jaw J. Threaded on the rod r is a spring g with compression screw II and nuts 3 at the upper endof r. The spring g tends always to depress O, the positionof the Due to the mountingnpon the cradle D, the nipper pivot P and the jaws of the nipper mwntr ed therein will always remain in correct relation to the cylinder needles after they have'been once adjusted, as set forth in the specification of prior Letters Patent No. 1,239,123 of the United;

States. 1 V

The combination of this arrangement withthe resilient nipper will now be described with ref-j erence to- Figure 4, in which the parts are shown with the nipper wide open and closing about to. 1 commence.

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contacts with adjusting screw 4, which is so adjusted that the lip of the top jaw a is at the proper distance from the cylinder needles. The continued movement of N forces the nuts 2 oif the swivel V and maintains the member l2 against the stop screw 4, overcoming the pressure of the springs g, and it will be obvious that the controlling cam operating the shaft has only to overcome the difference between the forces of the springs G and a which need not be very great although the nip between the two jaws J a must gbe considerable.

With the upper jaw 7' in its closest position to the needles of the cylinder and with the material to be worked between the two jaws, the set screw l is adjusted so that there is still a little space between its end and the arm 0, but such :th'at the arm 0 will come against the screw I before the lower jaw J can touch the needles. An

"abnormal thickness of material coming between the nipper jaws or other cause cannot therefore force the lower jaw into the needles. It is very'convenient to be able to vary the. height to which the lower jaw J can rise when the nipper opens so as to sustain the material behind the top comb as this affects both the cleanliness of the product and the amount of. waste. This is easily controlled by the nuts 3, as slacking off these nuts-the position of swivel v= being fixed-permits of the regulation of rod 1. in relation to the said swivel, with consequent regulation of the path of ascent of the jaws J, as the nipper'jaw pair rises. j The cam controlling the movement of the shaft N can be so formed that after the upper jaw a has made contact with the lower nipper jaw J the further approach of the jaw 7 towards: the needles may be gradual so, that the tangled; nipper tuft is not forced deply into' the front rows of needles but approaches gradually during the passage of theflrst l or5 rows. J

Lastly, by slightly oscillating the'shaft S, a slight to and fro movement may be imparted to the nipper which can then be used with a stationary detaching apparatus such as the roller '1, which may merely rise from and fall upon a segment of the combing cylinder by such means as set forth in my prior specification of Letters Patent No. 1,827,689 of the United States.

I claim:

1. Ina combing machine of the type referred to, a combing cylinder, a lower nipper jaw pivotally borne, means combined. therewith'for. limiting its movement in two directions, that is to say, to and from the combing. cylinder; is. pivoted upper nipper jaw, and means combined therewith for limiting its movement towards the. combing cylinder, compressible spring meansbetween the lower nipper jaw and its upwardly limiting stop, actuatingpmeans to cause descent of the uppernippcr jaw, and a spring compress sible by such actuating means, this spring being stronger than the herein first mentioned spring, for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

, 2. In a, combing machine of the type hereinbefore referred to, a pivoted lower nipper jaw, a stop limiting downward movement of such jaw,- a further stop limiting its upward movement, a pivoted member and an upper nipper jaw combined therewith, a stop limiting downward move ment of the jaw and such member, an actuating element, a spring interposed between the actuatelement, and such member, and a furtherspring borne'by the lower nipper jaw, said spring;

beingcompressible between the said jaw and; 35,

an exterior member, the first mentioned spring being stronger than the spring borne by the lower nipper jaw, all for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a combing machine of the type referred to, a pivoted lower nipper jaw, a stop limiting downward movement of such jaw, a pivoted member and an upper nipper jaw formed therewith, a stop limiting downward movement of such jaw, an actuating lever, a swivel upon the pivoted member, a rod connected to the actuating lever and passing through such swivel, a compressible spring surrounding the rod between the lever and the swivel; a further swivel member, a rod upon the lower nipper jaw passing through such swivel, adjusting means-upon the rod above such swivel and a spring surrounding such rod between the lower nipper jaw and swivel, the spring compressible by the actuating lever being stronger than the spring compressible by the lower nipper jaw, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a combing machine of the type referred to, a combing cylinder, a lower nipper jaw pivotally borne, means combined therewith for limiting its movement in two directions that is to say, to and from the combing cylinder, a pivoted upper nipper jaw, means combined therewith for limiting its movement towards the combing cylinder, compressible spring means between the lower nipper jaw and its upwardly limiting stop, actuating means to cause descent of the upper nipper jaw, a spring compressible by such actuating means, this spring being stronger than the herein first mentioned spring, and. a cradle having arms pivoted upon two points one of which is coincident with the axis of the cylinder such cradle bearing the pivot point for both nipper aws.

5. In a combing machine of the type hereinbefore referred to, a pivoted lower nipper. jaw,

an arm to which such jaw is attached, a stop limiting downward movement of such jaw, a further stop limiting its upward movement, a pivoted member and an upper nipper jaw combined therewith, a stop limiting downward movement of the jaw and such member, an actuating element, a spring interposed between the actuating element and such member, a rod pivoted upon the arm to which the lower nipper jaw is attached, and a spring embracing such rod, said spring being compressible between the arm and an exterior member, the first-mentioned spring being stronger than the second mentioned spring; a combing cylinder, and a cradle having arms pivoted upon two points one of which is coincident with the axis of the cylinder, such cradle bearing the pivot point for both nipper aws.

JOHN WILLIAM NASMI'I'H. 

